University News

Daughter of Nobel-winning Physicist Will Open FedEx Institute Series Oct. 11
For release: Sept. 28, 2005
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Michelle Feynman, daughter of the late Nobel physicist Richard Feynman, will be the inaugural speaker for the University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology's Vision Speaker Series. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 11, in the Zone. A reception will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the event at 6.

Richard Feynman's first job was working on the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. He won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1965 for his work on quantum electrodynamics. Feynman became popular for his television shows explaining physical phenomena in easily understood terms. He was a critical member of the federal committee investigating the space shuttle Challenger tragedy, demonstrating how O rings could fail under cold conditions.

Michelle Feynman has compiled some of her famous father's letters in the book Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track. The letters, written to family members, students and fellow scientists, offer a look into his personal and professional lives.

"Michelle Feynman is an ideal choice to launch our Vision Speaker Series," said Craig Grossman, executive director of the FedEx Institute. "Her book offers a rare glimpse at the fascinating personality of a Nobel Prize-winning scientist. We hope her visit to the Institute, and the continuing Vision Speaker Series, will find an audience that transcends an interest in science."